Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Survey shows UNLV employees stressed during pandemic

Architecture

Mikayla Whitmore

The Flora Dungan Humanities building at UNLV.

UNLV employees have been strained and overextended during the pandemic, but flexibility saved the day, according to a survey conducted earlier this year.

Work stress was “moderate,” with top stressors being transitioning to remote teaching, balancing family and work and avoiding COVID-19, according to the employee survey.

Employees found the lack of socialization and tending to their own physical and mental health challenging, the survey said. But they said they wanted to keep flexible schedules and the ability to work remotely.

“We have shown resiliency. We have learned some lessons, and more than anything else, we've been concerned about you,” UNLV President Keith Whitfield told employees Thursday during a livestreamed university town hall.

“We've been concerned about how people have been able to manage and navigate, and we want to learn lessons from that so that we can help you now and that we can help you in the future,” Whitfield said.

On the student side, UNLV will be offering 80% of its classes in person and 20% remotely this fall, Provost Chris Heavey said. That’s fewer online classes than during the last two terms but substantially more than pre-pandemic, he said.

Heavey said administrators don’t want to force professors to teach in both formats.

There is no requirement for employees or students to get vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to campus, but Heavey encouraged people to get inoculated.